How to Build a Successful Blog

I have been blogging since I was in college, and I must say it has been quite a journey. I have come a long way from sharing my daily musings about my classes to publishing these helpful "how to" articles filled with informative tips and hacks for my readers.

My blog has become an integral part of my life. I have worked on it several hours daily, adding more posts regularly to build up my content. It has been one of my most rewarding experiences yet.

I claim to be no expert on the topic, but here are a few ways I managed to build a successful blog:

Define your niche

One of the most common newbie mistakes for those trying to build a successful blog is failing to choose a niche. Choosing a niche for their blog earlier on will define the direction you wish to take with your blog. It will also serve as the guide to deciding what posts to create next and which audience to target. Some of the most popular niches today are food, fashion, mommy, travel, and parenting blogs.

Primarily my blog has been a proverbial melting pot of anything and everything under the sun. But as years went by, I managed to choose a more specific niche which helped shape my blog into what it is today. It was something that worked well for me. Looking back, it would have been more effective if I had chosen a specific niche earlier.

Focus on your audience

Another common misconception on how to build a successful blog is focusing more on the blogger than the audience. Of course, we would like to share more about ourselves through our blog posts; this is how our readers and followers will come to know us and grow to love our content. But one must also consider his target audience and analyze what content they prefer to see and read in your blog. This way, you can be sure that your audience will return to your blog for more content, thereby growing your following.

Regularly write quality content

Yes, this old statement from Bill Gates in 1996 never rings truer. "Content is king." Quality content is still the key to gaining readers and growing your followers. Never grow tired of writing those clever and informative posts. Learn which topics are relevant to your readers and make detailed and well-researched posts about them. Do not forget to craft catchy and captivating titles and do it regularly. Set a regular schedule for publishing your content.

Utilize your social media pages to grow your blog

The increase in popularity of social media these past few years paved the way for influencers to rise to fame as well. They became prominent personalities on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, and similar platforms. You can never go wrong in utilizing these said platforms to grow your blog following. Creating a page on Facebook or Instagram for your blog is another way to grow your audience and add more avenues to earn from your blog.

While sponsored posts are the most popular form of blog paid content, influencer marketing is one of the biggest things on social media platforms. Brands tap Facebook or Instagram content creators to help market their products; it has proven to be a very effective advertising and marketing tool. It is another income opportunity for any blogger to consider.

Invest in a simple yet functional blog theme

The overall look of your blog is a factor in making your readers stay to read for an entire length of an article or keep them coming back to read more of your content. If you can, invest in a functional but simple theme with a mobile mode to provide a better reader experience. If you do not have the budget to spare for a customized one, there are plenty of free Blogger and WordPress themes to choose from to help improve your blog.